A Walk About

or Looking for Signs of Spring

As the days grow longer, talk of spring is popular.  There have been reports of crocus, daffodil, and forsythia blooming already because of the warmer than usual winter we've been having in the east, I took a walk around the yard looking for some of these early bits of color. While I didn't find many of the things my friends have been talking about, I was not disappointed.

I found snowdrops in the ground cover bed. This is the first year I've seen them. Which means that I have missed seeing them before or they were with some of the daffodil bulbs from a friend I planted last fall.  Whatever is the case, they were a great surprise.

Miss Annie Laurie's hellebore is blooming. This poor plant has managed to survive through multiple transplants and injuries, but this is the first time it has bloomed in several years. Now I'm not sure if I should transplant it to the other location that I thought would be better for it. 

I didn't find any forsythia blooms, but I did find this bird's nest in a forsythia bush 

Several people have said that they have crocus blooming, but I only have the leaves starting to emerge. 

The nandina is giving a show with its bright, red berries. Birds don't like these berries, so they remain all winter.

And no walk around the yard would be complete without a porch update. The main structure is done. We are now waiting on warm enough weather for painting. After that is done, ceiling fans, gutters, drains, and lights will be installed. When it's warm enough for the porch to get painted, that will be a sure sign of spring.

Porch Update, Weeks 12, 13

The end is almost in sight. The work is progressing without any major hitches and we continue to be pleased as we see each new part built.  Here's what the builders have been up to.

The inside trim work has been installed around the doors including new beadboard on either side.  When all is said and done, we will install our decorative muntins on the glass panels to see how we like them. If we think they block too much of the view, we'll remove some or all of them.

They also did more trim work outside including the vertical siding over the door...

And over the arch on the front of the porch.

They installed most of the railing this week. First they installed shims on the posts before they put on the wrap (notice it beside the carpenter). I took this picture from inside where it was nice and warm while the carpenter was bundled up and working in freezing temperatures. I never hear them complain except one day he mentioned that it was kind of raw outside. That was day when it was raining and in the 30's. I'm not hardy enough to do this kind of work.

Then the sections were assembled and and installed between the posts. The railings are made from heavy-duty PVC reinforced with a metal core for strength.

The electrician completed work on the subpanel and wiring, and we passed the electrical inspection.

With electrical inspection done, they started on the ceiling to cover up the wiring. The ceiling is fir and will be stained.

There is unusually warm weather forecast for next week, so they are hoping to get everything done for painting then. That may mean extra work this weekend for them and us. We thought we had until spring to pick out colors, but those decisions have to be made this weekend. Right now we are deciding between 15 colors of beige trying to match the siding on the house. And an accent color to go in a couple of places. We're not sure about the color we'll have the ceiling stained. But tomorrow while I'm at work, Ward is buying some stain to try out. 

We're almost there!

Until next time...


In case you missed the other installments:

And So It Begins

Porch Building, Week 2

Porch Building, Week 3

Porch Building, Weeks 4, 5, 6

Porch Update, Weeks 7, 8

Porch Update, Weeks 9, 10

Porch Update, Week 11

Porch Update, Week 11

Another week of progress. There are some big things that happened this week, but as with most weeks, the work was in the details. There are so many details that happen to complete each piece and part of this construction plan--more than the unfamiliar can imagine. But that is where the craftsmanship of the workers is shining.

The old doors were removed. Luckily it was on a warmer day and we weren't cold from chilly air. The cats didn't get to see any of the action because they spent the day locked up in the basement so they would not become escape cats.

The new doors look much like the old doors...

Except they have no rotten wood or rust.

The most exciting thing this week was the installation of the floor with Aratis porch flooring which is a composite made from PVC materials. Miss Landers and I think it's big enough and solid enough to use as a stage or have a square dance. I told Ward that any furniture for the porch would have to be easily movable so we could have a show or a dance. He was politely quiet. We were just kidding 
(maybe 😉).

But don't you think that has the makings of a stage?

Along with the floor, the steps also got treads installed.

And more dirt was put around the landing.

The electrician was on another job most of the week, but he did install a couple of outlets.

And started the installation of a new subpanel in the basement. Besides wiring for the porch, we plan to use some of the spaces in the new subpanel when we update the kitchen.

Also, there was a lot more trim work added this week. 

Until next time...

In case you missed the other installments:

And So It Begins

Porch Building, Week 2

Porch Building, Week 3

Porch Building, Weeks 4, 5, 6

Porch Update, Weeks 7, 8

Porch Update, Weeks 9, 10

Porch Update--Weeks 9, 10

The work is progressing and we continue to be pleased with how everything is taking shape. Here's what they have been working on for the last two weeks.

They continue to trim the exposed wood with Boral board. Here is a Boral form the workers made to be fitted to a column.

After the columns were wrapped, molding was put around the top. Notice the chamfered corners of the post. One of the many details that the architect suggested that we wouldn't have thought of.

Snow covered the outdoor workshop one morning but the workers managed to do what they needed anyway.

The electrician continues to scurry inside and out and working on the wiring. The switches for the porch were installed last Friday. We have a couple for the ceiling fans, some for lights, and an extra one for good measure.

The mason came back and did patching around some of the outdoor areas where the electrician was working. If this works like the bricks on the columns, this patch should match fairly well after it dries.

In the meantime, the flooring got delivered. It was interesting to watch the very skilled driver maneuver the sagging boards through and over the gate into the backyard without knocking over the port-a-john or taking off a branch of the plum tree 

It was a little easier to get the door delivered to the site. We don't know the work schedule, but we assume that the floor and patio door will be installed soon. We're definitely getting there!

Until next time...

In case you missed the other installments:

And So It Begins

Porch Building, Week 2

Porch Building, Week 3

Porch Building, Weeks 4, 5, 6

Porch Update, Weeks 7, 8

Porch Update, Weeks 7, 8

Good progress is being made even though there has been bad weather and holidays interfering with the schedule. Here are a few pictures to show the progress.

This is where we last left you. Roof trusses were being covered with sheathing, floor joists were in, and the piers were starting to get bricks around them.

Since then, the roof was shingled and an arch was built for the front of it. We are pleased with how well the new roof ties into the existing roof.

This notch at the top of the beam next to the arch will hold a beam tail, part of the trimming.

And perhaps the most important thing that happened recently is that we passed the framing inspection, so work can continue.

The electrician has begun wiring for lights and ceiling fans. Right now we have six can lights and two ceiling fans planned as well as a couple of new outlets. We may need a new subpanel to handle these. Also, the contractor is pricing some additional lighting and outlets for us now to see if we would like to add them.

The mason finished bricking the piers and poured the landing for the steps yesterday.

They have added the posts for the railing and begun wrapping all of the exposed wood in Boral board, a composite cement product that should wear very well.

And that's all she wrote.  Until next time...

Porch Building, Weeks 4, 5, 6

There hasn't been an update for a while because there have been some delays with the mason, who is building the foundation. The contractor finally decided work could proceed and the mason could finish up what he needed at a later date.

And then boom! There has been an amazing amount of work done this past week through cold rain, ice, and snow. And during it all, the workmen have had a positive attitude (at least when we were around) and the quality of the work has remained high, or redone. It's all pretty remarkable to see. From six holes in the ground, we now have a porch that is almost framed.

Here are a few pictures of the progress.

The floor joists

The day before the workman worked in a cold rain all day. This morning they started with snow. You can see the blocking between the joists to help retain rigidity between them. The plywood is temporary as a work platform.

Each masonry pier has an 8" x 8" wooden post above it to help support the roof of the porch.

You can see how the posts intersect the floor and piers here.

The roof trusses were prefabricated...

...except for the last few that are tying into the existing roof. This is the one clear day the workers got. It was cold but dry. They were happy.

On top of the trusses goes a layer of sheathing. They are using ZIP brand that has a plastic coating that is waterproof. It's not necessary, but is an extra layer of protection under the roofing materials.

And while some were working on the roof, others were working on the side steps.

Meanwhile, the mason showed up and started bricking the piers. While the old brick and new don't match exactly in this picture, they should match much better when they are dry.

Notice between the brick and the wood is a sheet of copper that is a deterrent to termites. Supposedly, termites don't like pressure treated wood, but the copper is extra insurance against them.

The mason put plastic around the piers he had bricked to protect the mortar from the rain. Yes, rain and more rain (and maybe sleet or or snow) is coming. 

Until next time...

Porch Building--Week Three

Week three of construction on the porch 

that is being built on the back of our house.  

I thought that I was going to have to show you the same pictures as last week because most of the time this past week, we were waiting for the concrete to cure. Which, by the way, is much like watching paint dry. However, the mason's crew are back at work and making visible progress. 

We have also been doing some behind the scenes work on trying to pick out things for other parts of the project. We have decided on a patio door design and it has been ordered. And after much debate, we have decided that two ceiling fans will suit the space best. We still have to order them after we finalize our design choice.

Here are a few pictures from this week.

The holes are getting 16" bases made from cemented cinder blocks. More concrete is being poured down the openings and dirt is being tamped around the piers.

On top of the base in the ground are 8' squares that will be faced with brick. They are not finished yet.

We are hoping we can get a brick that matches a little better than this one. We'll see.

We also had the trusses delivered for the roof. The truck driver who delivered them was very skilled. He backed easily into the drop off location with only about an inch to spare on either side of the gate opening that leads to the back driveway. There he slid the trusses onto the ground from the truck bed.

Until next time...